Method for managing defective area on optical disc of writable once type

ABSTRACT

Method for managing a defective area on an optical disc of writable once type permitting, not only to read and reproduce a data written on a defective area of an optical disc, such as BD-WO regularly in data reproduction by writing the data on a spare area in place of the defective area and managing the data effectively, but also to select and search written location of defect list information, or TDFL information, which becomes effective as a disc finalize operation is executed, exactly, by writing and managing the TDFL information which is navigation information on the defective area, and the written location information and identification information which enable to select and search defect list information written in the DMA assigned to the LIA as the DDS information in a disc finalize operation, thereby permitting regular replacement writing operation, or regular replacement reproducing operation for the defective area.

[0001] This application claims the benefit of the Korean Application No. P2003-2328 filed on Jan. 14, 2003, which is hereby incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] 1. Field of the Invention

[0003] The present invention relates to a method for managing a defective area on an optical disc of writable once type, such as a Blu-ray Disc Writable Once (BD-WO).

[0004] 2. Background of the Related Art

[0005] Recently, it is expected that a new high density optical disc, on which a high quality video, and audio data can be written for a long time, such as a Blu-ray Disc rewritable (BD-RE:BD-Rewritable), is developed and put into practical use.

[0006] In the meantime, referring to FIG. 1, an optical disc device for writing/reproducing a data on/from the BD-RE is provided with an optical pickup 11 for writing/reproducing a signal on/from an optical disc 10, a Video Disc Recorder (VDR) system 12 for processing a signal from the optical pickup 11 as a reproduced signal, or demodulating and processing an external data stream into a writable signal suitable for writing, and an encoder 13 for encoding, and providing an external analog signal to the VDR system.

[0007] Referring to FIG. 2, the BD-RE is divided into, and assigned as a Lead-In Area (LIA), a data area, and Lead-Out area (LOA), with an Inner Spare Area (ISA) and an Outer Spare Area (OSA) assigned to a fore end and a rear end of the data area, respectively.

[0008] According to this, the VDR system 12 of the optical disc device writes the external data in clusters corresponding to an ECC Block unit having a predetermined size of recording after encoding and demodulating the external signal into a signal suitable for writing, when, as shown in FIG. 2, if there is a defective area in the data area found in the middle of writing the data, the VDR system 12 carries out a series of replacement writing operation in which the clusters of data written on the defective area is written on one of the spare areas, for an example, on the inner spare area (ISA) in place of the defective area.

[0009] Therefore, even if there is a defective area in the data area of the BD-RE, the VDR system 12 can prevent a data writing error in advance by, after writing the clusters of data written on the defective area on the spare area in place of the detective area, and reading, and reproducing the data from the spare area.

[0010] However, a method for an effective management of a defective area on the BD-WO, of which standardization is under discussion currently, is not provided yet, a solution of which is required, urgently.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0011] Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a method for managing a defective area on an optical disc of writable once type type that substantially obviates one or more of the problems due to limitations and disadvantages of the related art.

[0012] An object of the present invention designed to solve the foregoing problem lies on providing a method for managing a defective area on an optical disc of writable once type type, in which a data written on a defective area of an optical disc, such as a BD-WO, is written and managed effectively by writing the data on other data area or a spare area in place of the defective area.

[0013] Additional features and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be apparent to those having ordinary skill in the art upon examination of the following or may be learned from practice of the invention. The objectives and other advantages of the invention will be realized and attained by the structure particularly pointed out in the written description and claims hereof as well as the appended drawings.

[0014] To achieve these objects and other advantages and in accordance with the purpose of the present invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, the method for managing a defective area on an optical disc of writable once type type includes a first step for detecting existence of a defective area within a recording sector after writing a data in a predetermined recording sector in writing the data, a second step for writing the data written in the defect area in a spare area assigned to a data area in replacement of the defect area, and writing navigation information on the defective area in a particular recording sector assigned in advance as temporal defect list information, and a third step for writing written location information for access to the temporal defect list information, and identification information for determining access to the written location information in a defect management area assigned to a lead-in area of the optical disc as disc definition structure information.

[0015] In another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an optical disc of writable once type type, having a lead-in area and a data area assigned thereto including a defect management area in the lead-in area for writing information on a plurality of written locations for access to temporal list information and defect list information written in different locations, and identification information for selective access to information on any one of the written locations as disc definition structure information.

[0016] In further aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for managing a defective area on an optical disc of writable once type, including a first step for searching a defect management area assigned to a lead-in area of the optical disc, and detecting and identifying identification information representing execution of disc finalize from disc definition structure information in the defect management area, a second step for selective search of a written location of defect list information or temporal defect list information in the disc definition structure information with reference to the identification information, and a third step for carrying out replacement writing of reproducing operation for the defective area based on the selectively searched defect list information or temporal defect list information.

[0017] It is to be understood that both the foregoing description and the following detailed description of the present invention are exemplary and explanatory and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention claimed.

BRIEF DESCRITPION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the invention and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this application, illustrate embodiment(s) of the invention and together with the description serve to explain the principle of the invention. In the drawings;

[0019]FIG. 1 illustrates a related art optical disc, schematically;

[0020]FIG. 2 illustrates a diagram of a related art method for managing a defective area on a BD-RW;

[0021]FIG. 3 illustrates a diagram of a method for managing a defective area on a BD-WO in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0022]FIGS. 4 and 5 illustrate diagrams each showing navigation information produced and written according to a method for managing a defective area on a BD-WO in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention; and

[0023]FIGS. 6 and 7 illustrate diagrams each showing a method for managing a defective area on a BD-WO in accordance with another preferred embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0024] Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. FIG. 3 illustrates a diagram of a method for managing a defective area on a BD-WO in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0025] Referring to FIG. 3, for an example, the BD-WO includes a lead-in area (LIA), a data area, and a lead-out area (LIA), wherein the data area has a user data area with Physical Sector Numbers (PSN) and Logical Sector Numbers (LSN) given together, and non-user data areas each only having physical sector numbers given thereto.

[0026] In the meantime, referring to FIG. 3, the non-user data area includes an outer spare area (OSA) for writing a data in place of a defective area, and a Temporal Defect List Area (TDFL Area) for writing navigation information on the defective area and the data written on the spare area.

[0027] The OSA may be positioned at the ISA, or the ISA may be provided additionally, and, alikely, the TDFL area may be positioned at a position adjacent to the OSA, or provided additionally, or positioned in the LIA, additionally.

[0028] In the meantime, the VDR system 12 of the optical disc device described with reference to FIG. 1 writes data continuously on a predetermined writing sector in the user data area in writing a data, wherein the predetermined data writing sector may be set as a Defect Verify Unit (DVU) of a recording size equivalent to one or more than one physical track or cluster for detecting the defective area during data writing.

[0029] Then, after writing the data on the DVU, the VDR system 12 repeats a series of defective area detecting operation, in which the VDR system 12 reproduces the data written in the DVU, and verifies the data of being written regularly.

[0030] For an example, referring to FIG. 3, after writing a first to a fifth clusters clusters #1˜#5 continuously as a first defect verify unit DVU #1 (S10), the VDR system 12 reproduces the data written on the DVU #1 in progressively, and detects defective area, when, if there is a defective area in the cluster #2 (S11), the data in the cluster #2 stored, for an example, in an inner buffer (not shown) of the VDR system temporarily is written on the OSA in place of the defective area (S12).

[0031] In this instance, the cluster #2 may be written on the OSA starting from either the rear end or the fore end thereof. After the writing, the VDR system 12 reproduces the data written on the DVU #1 starting from the cluster #3, when, if there is a defective area in the cluster #4 (S13), the data in the cluster #4 stored, for an example, in an inner buffer of the VDR system temporarily is written on the OSA in place of the defective area (S14).

[0032] Eventually, the DVU #1 becomes to have clusters #1, #3, and #5 written thereon regularly, and two defective areas, and the OSA has cluster #2 and #4 written thereon in place of the defective area.

[0033] In the meantime, when a data recording having a temporal continuity (recording 1) ends while above defective area detection and replacement writing operation is continued in the DVU #1, DVU #2, - - - , DVU #n, the VDR system 12 writes navigation information as TDFL information for managing the defective areas and the data written in place of the defective areas.

[0034] Thus, referring to FIG. 3, the VDR system 12 writes the TDFL information on a TDFL area and stores therein, wherein, as shown in FIG. 4, the TDFL information includes a plurality of defect entries Defect_Entry #1˜#m each having a PSN of the defective area PSN of Defective and a PSN of an area the data is written thereon in replacement of the defective area PSN of Replacement, and the like written in relation to the other.

[0035] In the meantime, the VDR system 12 writes written location information in a Defect Management Area (DMA) assigned in the LIA as Disc Definition Structure (DDS) information for fast access to the TDFL information written thus.

[0036] For an example, the 60 byte recording sector in the DDS may have written location information for access to first TDFL information First PSN of TDFL, wherein the written location information is written and managed together with identification information Disc Finalize Flag which indicates if a Disc Finalize, a final ending of writing on an optical disc, is executed or not.

[0037] In the meantime, the identification information of, for an example, one byte size, may be written in ‘0000 XXXX’ if no Disc Finalize is executed, and in ‘0000 1111’ if executed. When the identification information is written in ‘0000 XXXX’, the VDR system 12 reads, and refers to written location information for access to information on first TDFL First PSN of TDFL written included to the DDS, and searches the written location.

[0038] Referring to FIG. 5, the DDS information may further include written location information Last PSN of TDFL for faster access to a last TDFL information written finally in the TDFL information.

[0039] Moreover, according to request from the user, when the disc finalize operation is executed, the VDR system 12 changes the identification information from ‘0000 XXXX’ to ‘0000 1111’, and writes the TDFL in the DMA as defect list information DFL.

[0040] The 24 byte recording sector in the DDS has written location information for access to a first defect list information First PSN of DFL included thereto, wherein a recording sector for writing the TDFL information may be included to the LIA as shown in FIG. 6, or assigned to a particular recording sector before the OSA as shown in FIG. 7, or to different sectors, such as the LOA.

[0041] In the meantime, when the optical disc is put into the VDR system 12, the VDR system 12 searches the DMA assigned to the LIA of the optical disc, and detects identification information which indicates if a Disc Finalize is executed or not from the DDS information included to the DMA.

[0042] If the identification information is, for an example, ‘0000 XXXX’, after searching for, and referring to the written location information on the first TDFL or the last TDFL included to the DDS information, the VDR system 12, searching for and referring to the first or last TDFL information, carries out a series of replacement writing or reproducing operation for the defective area.

[0043] On the other hand, if the identification information is, for an example, ‘0000 1111’, after searching for, and referring to written location information on the first defect list written on, and included to the DDS information, the VDR system 12, searching for and referring to the first or last TDFL information, carries out a series of replacement writing or reproducing operation for the defective area regularly.

[0044] For reference, the identification information may have a size greater than one byte, and the execution of the disc finalize may be indicated with values other than ‘0000 XXXX’, and ‘0000 1111’.

[0045] The TDFL information may includes navigation information on the defective areas written cumulatively and continuously, and the DDS information may have the written location information for access both to the first TDFL and the last TDFL, or either the first TDFL or the last TDFL, selectively.

[0046] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the present invention without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Thus, it is intended that the present invention cover the modifications and variations of this invention provided they come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.

[0047] As has been described, the method for managing a defective area on an optical disc of writable once type permits, not only to read and reproduce a data written on a defective area of an optical disc, such as BD-WO regularly in data reproduction by writing the data on a spare area in place of the defective area and managing the data effectively, but also to select and search written location of defect list information, or TDFL information, which becomes effective as a disc finalize operation is executed, exactly, by writing and managing the TDFL information which is navigation information on the defective area, and the written location information and identification information which enable to select and search defect list information written in the DMA assigned to the LIA as the DDS information in a disc finalize operation, thereby permitting regular replacement writing operation, or regular replacement reproducing operation for the defective area. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for managing a defective area on an optical disc of writable once type, comprising: a first step for detecting existence of a defective area within a recording sector after writing a data in a predetermined recording sector in writing the data; a second step for writing the data written in the defect area in a spare area assigned to a data area in replacement of the defect area, and writing navigation information on the defective area in a particular recording sector assigned in advance as temporal defect list information; and a third step for writing written location information for access to the temporal defect list information, and identification information for determining access to the written location information in a defect management area assigned to a lead-in area of the optical disc as disc definition structure information.
 2. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising the step of writing the temporal defect list information in the defect management area as defect list information, and changing the identification information to a value representing a disc finalize and writing the value, in execution of the disc finalize operation.
 3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the disc definition structure information includes the written location information for access to the temporal defect list information written finally.
 4. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the identification information is a flag of a size equal to, or greater than one byte, for indicating access to the defect list information written in the defect management area when the optical disc is disc finalized, and for indicating access to the temporal defect list information written in the particular recording sector when the optical disc is not disc finalized.
 5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the temporal defect list information is written in the particular recording sector, in, before, or after the data area.
 6. An optical disc of writable once type, having a lead-in area and a data area assigned thereto comprising: a defect management area in the lead-in area for writing information on a plurality of written locations for access to temporal list information and defect list information written in different locations, and identification information for selective access to information on any one of the written locations as disc definition structure information.
 7. The optical disc as claimed in claim 6, wherein the disc definition structure information includes; written location information for access to first defect list information written in the defect management area, and written location information for access to first temporal defect list information written in recording sector other than the defect management area.
 8. The optical disc as claimed in claim 6, wherein the identification information is a flag of a size equal to, or greater than one byte, for indicating access to the defect list information written in the defect management area when the optical disc is disc finalized, and for indicating access to the temporal defect list information written in the particular recording sector when the optical disc is not disc finalized.
 9. The optical disc as claimed in claim 6, wherein the disc definition structure information includes the written location information for access to the temporal defect list information written finally.
 10. A method for managing a defective area on an optical disc of writable once type, comprising: a first step for searching a defect management area assigned to a lead-in area of the optical disc, and detecting and identifying identification information representing execution of disc finalize from disc definition structure information in the defect management area; a second step for selective search of a written location of defect list information or temporal defect list information in the disc definition structure information with reference to the identification information; and a third step for carrying out replacement writing of reproducing operation for the defective area based on the selectively searched defect list information or temporal defect list information.
 11. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the second step includes the step of selectively searching a written location of the defect list information written and included to the defect management area in a case the identification information has a value equivalent to the disc finalize.
 12. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the second step includes the step of selectively searching a written location of the first temporal defect list information or a final temporal defect list information written in a recording sector other than the defect management area in a case the identification information has a value not equivalent to the disc finalize. 